The YMCA of Delaware 2024 Global Teens trip is heading to Kenya.
The program develops international understanding and leadership skills while also providing service-learning opportunities for high school students ages 14-18.
The 20 students and 14 adult chaperones on the trip will fly out of New York on Thursday and arrive Friday in Nairobi, Kenya for a 10-day visit. They return to the Walnut Street YMCA on July 29th.
Jesus De Las Salas is the Vice President of Social Responsibility and Corporate Partnerships at the YMCA of Delaware. He describes the trip.
"We're going to go on a mission program. We're going to paint one of the YMCA’s schools in Kenya as well as visiting one of the largest tribes, and we're bringing some seeds, some bean seeds so that people can have food for the next year. Also we're bringing six bags of new clothes that we're going to give to the families over there," said De Las Salas.
There has been some recent unrest in Kenya with public protests and violence, but De Las Salas says it’s safe there now as he has been in contact with Kenyan officials and the Nairobi YMCA.
De Las Salas says YMCA’s up and down the state will be represented.
"We have kids from all our eight YMCA locations from Walnut Street YMCA the majority of the kids are coming to the trip there, Middletown YMCA, our Brandywine YMCA, our Camp Tockwogh also our Western YMCA we have representation of every sector," said De Las Salas.
He notes donations for the trip and the program and future trips can be made at the YMCA of Delaware website.
